Find an airline that offers deals on flights or a rewards program with points or miles. I fly Southwest Airlines when I travel and pay little to nothing for flights.

I use my Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card and put almost all my purchases on it in exchange for points.

They offer 1 point for every dollar spent and 2 points for every dollar spent on Southwest flights.

They also reward 2 points per dollar if you book through their hotel and car rental partners.  You receive points on your anniversary date of having the card, as well.

I get weekly emails with current flight deals going on, too. 

In fact, I wrote an article on the ways you can save money using Southwest while traveling.  You can read more about these benefits here. 

Whichever airline you use, find something with great rewards. 

If you don’t want to go that route, you could use a website that compares several airlines for the cheapest flights.

I’ve used Cheaptickets.com in the past. That’s worked great for me.

They also offer other travel deals and can also bundle your flights with hotels, rental cars, and events.

Speaking of hotels, find a hotel website that has great deals on hotel stays. I use Hotels.com and they have very competitive rates on rooms and email weekly offers.

You can earn reward nights with Hotels.com when you use them enough.  They give you 1 stamp per night at qualifying stays and you receive 1 reward night after 10 stamps.  

Save on transportation when traveling when you can.  Is it possible to get a ride to and from the airport so you don’t have to pay for airport parking?

Long-term parking at the airport can get expensive quickly.  I always try to find a ride when I can.

When you’re on your trip, are you staying in an area where you don’t need to rent a car? 

If the transportation need is limited, you may be able to use public transportation or even walk if it’s a short enough distance.

On the last trip I went on, my friend offered to pick me up and drop me off at the airport, so I didn’t have to rent a car.

If I do rent a car, I like to use Budget.  They often have good rates and send out discounts via email. 

I signed up for Budget Fastbreak and get more great offers sent to me through that.

Travel during the off-season when possible for deals on accommodations and flights. This one is pretty obvious but it’s one of the best tips for traveling cheap.

You can save a lot of money if you’re traveling when fewer people are. I went to Destin this past summer and we spent $2000 on a condo through Airbnb.

If you go during their slower season, November-March, you can get the same condo for around $1000-$1300. It can definitely pay to wait!  Hopefully, you can use this tip to travel for less.

Planning to travel?  Check rates on rooms with VRBO.

One of the best tips for traveling cheap in 2021: save as much as you can on food.

I know the best parts of traveling are often the food and entertainment, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t save money on food along the way.

You can find plenty of great hotels that offer free breakfast options. I always try and take advantage of this whenever I’m traveling.

Try and find a room with a kitchen so you can cook some of your own meals.

At a minimum, make sure you have a fridge in your room so you can have some cold meals.

By doing this, you can save big on your trip. You don’t have to go out to eat every time, right?!

You can also save money on food just by doing things like packing your own snacks when you go on flights and not buying food at the airport. 

Just a sandwich at an airport is going to cost around $7-$10.

These little savings can really add up during the course of your trip.

Save as much as you can on activities and entertainment. Look at Groupon and other deals when you’re traveling.

Oftentimes, the hotel you’re staying at will have coupons for nearby events and activities.

When I stayed in Nashville, I went to the visitor center downtown and bought their Music City Total Access Pass to bundle and save on activities and entertainment.  

I recommend seeing if the area that you’re traveling to has a visitor center and check out their travel deals!